Electric mooring and towing gear apparatus or system



G. H. J ETT. ELECTRIC MOORING AND TOWING GEAR APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED APR. 4. 192i. Mama 0R SYSTEM.

GONTROLLER 0/? SOURCE OF POWfR TN NTOR ATTORNEY Patented @ct. 2e, E922,

UNHTED STATES PATENT CDFFEQEO GEDRGE H. JETT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELEGTRIC MODELING AND TOWING GEAR APPARATUS OR SYSTEM.

Application filed April 4,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. Jn'r'r a citizen of the United States, residing at ew York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Electric Mooring and Towing Gear Apparatus or System, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

' This invention relates to devices for automatically maintaining a substantially constant pull or tension on a mooring or towing line and particularly as applied to marine mooring and towing, although certain features thereof are of general application and may be used with advantage in hauling, hoisting etc.

One object of my invention is to provide an efiective electric apparatus to maintain automatically an adjustable pull or tension on a line, rope, chain, cable or hawser used for mooring a vessel or other floating object in any fixed position or for towing a vessel or other object whereby undue strains and consequent injury to the mooring or towing .devices are obviated.

A further object is to devise an apparatus which is simple in construction and operation and which is-of few arts and can be manufacturedv and assemb ed with a minimum-ofcost.v f

I accomplish this object, speakinggenerally by devising a power device which is capable of winding the mooring cable or tow'line up and placing'the same under the desired tension, an automatic means which is responsive to the slack or tightening of the cable for e'fiecting control of the power device, and separate means, also under the control of the automatic means and the power device and cooperating therewith for permitting the power device to pay out the cable and thereby limiting the maximum tension to a harmless value.

More specifically my improvements, according to the present embodiment consist essentially. of an electric motor driven drum or spool used for winding or unwinding the line or cable upon which an adjustable constant or fixedtension is to be maintained within certain limits, a sheave or pulley attached to or mounted on springs or hydraulic cylinders permittingthe sheave or pulley to move proportionally to .theelongation or compres'sio of the springs or hydraulic cylinders, and over or through which said 1921. Serial no. 458,600.

sheave or pulley, said line or cable is led or rove, and adjustable electrical contactmaking device actuated by the movement of said springs or hydraulic cylinders, which contact-making devicei controls the motor circuit and thereby the operatlon of the electric motor driving said drum or spool, and an adjustable friction brake, electro-magnetically released and mounted on one of the shafts of said electric motor driven drum, the electromagnet being connected electrically in series with said electric motor sothat when the contact-making device starts the motor the brake is released to permit tightening of the cable and when the motoris not operating the brake is operating to hold the drum and maintain the tension below a predetermined value.

For a better understanding of the aforesaid novel features of my invention and others which will hereinafter appear, reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawing which illustrates diagrammatically one means of application of my improvements.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a drum or spool upon which is wound a portion of the line or cable B in tension. C designates an electric motor preferably of the direct current series type, which operates the drum and is capable of putting the cable B under the maximum tension desired in practice. As one means of con .necting the motor tothe drum, gears are shown at D to give speed reduction from electric motor to drum. E designates a pulleyor sheave over which line or cable Bis led, the pulleg being attached to a compression spring -mounted on the rod. G,- the lower end of the spring engaging a collar carried by the rod G and the upper end engaging an abutment, as illustrated. An adjustable projection'H on the movable rod is adapted to actuate an electric switch I closing same when tension on line B is sufficiently removed to allow sprin F to expand to a predetermined point. small spring J. opens the switch I when the ten- .sion or tightening of cable B compresses and opened can be regulated and ad'ust'ed to suit the particular requirements. witch I when closed causes the electric motor C.

to be connected to a main line or source of electric energy 1 and 2, the motor circuit leading through solenoid N, controller Q and contactor switch 3, and. the control circuit leading through the solenoid R of this switch. The'motor thereupon winds up line B on drum A until the tension or pull compresses spring F to the point where .switch I opens, thus disconnecting motor C from the source of electric energy. K designates a mechanical holding and tension limiting brake shown connected to the shaft of motor C as one means of applying a holding brake to drum A. The brake may comprise a shoe or plate which is mechanically held in frictional engagement with the pulley or disc mounted on the motor shaft by a sprin L, the tension of the latter being adjusta le' in order to adjust for the desired maximum tensidn of the line B. This adjustment is diagrammatically shown as screw M. A solenoid N, the electric coil of which is connected in the same circuit with the motor C and contactor 3 and is particular requirements without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the rod G and spring Fare described as vertically disposed whereas in practice, they might assume any other position or angle, and similarly with regard to various other elements of the apparatus.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have set forth one complete embodiment of my invention in the specific manner required thereby, but it is understood that the claims annexed hereto are not to be construed as limited to the specific devices illustrated, except, as is specificially recited therein or is rendered necessary by a consideration of the prior art, but are to be given a construction commensurate with the sec e and spirit of the improvements.

ll hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a mooring or towing gear system the combination of a mooring or tow line whose tension is to be controlled, a drum about which said line is adapted to be wound simultaneously energized, overcomes the pull up to a certain tension and from which said of spring L and electro-magnetically releases brake K, thus allowing motor C to operate without overcoming brake friction.

The operation may be described as follows:

The tension of sprin L is adjusted with screw M so that brake 1% will hold the motor shaft up to desired tension in line B and if tension exceeds desired amount the brake will slip thereby allowing line B to unwind from drum A until the tension falls to the normal point determined by the spring L and the brake Assuming first that there is no tension on line B the compression spring F is expanded, drawing down the rod G and causing the switch I to close and thereby energizing solenoid R of contactor 3. If now master switch P is closed the electri motor C and magnetic solenoid N Wlll be simultaneously energized and the motor will operate with the brake K released and will wind up line B on drum A justing the member H up and down on rod- G, the apparatus can'be set to operate at any desired tension or pull on line B.

It is understood that the drawing accompanylng this application is merelydiagrammatic and is for illustrative purposes only,

and that the relation and. construction of the various parts may-be varied to suit the line is'to be paid out under greater tension, an electric motor adapted to wind up the line and put the same under tension, automatic means responsive to the tension of the line and operative to effect control of the motor circuit to cause the motor to wind up the line to a predetermined tension, and an electro-magnetically released brake under the control of the automatic means and operative to limit the tension in the line to a predetermined value, and permit the motor to pay out the line when a predetermined maximum tension is reached and until the tension is again normal.

2. In a system of the character set forth the combination of a cable whose tension is to be automatically regulated and maintained, an electric motor and drum for winding up and putting the cable under tension, a sheave carried by a loop in said cable, said sheave being yieldingly mounted by means of a spring in opposition to the tension or pull of the cable, a mechanical brake frictionally engaging the motor shaft and limiting the maximum tension of the cable, an electro-magnet for releasing the brake, a main line circuit, a motor circuit leading *from the main line through the motor and the electro-magnet, a solenoid operated contactor switch in the motor circuit, a control circuit leading through the solenoid of the contactor, a control switch in said control circuit, and an adjustable device carried by the sheave for actuating the control switch.

3. In a system of the character set forth, the combination of a cable whose tension is to be automatically regulated and maintained, an electric motor and drum for winding up and putting the cable under tension, a sheave carried by a loop in said cable, said sheave being yieldingly mounted by means of a spring in opposition to the tension or pull of the cable, a mechanical brake frictionally engaging the motor shaft for holding the tension of the cable, an electro-magnet for releasing the brake, a main line circuit, a motor circuit leading from the main line through the motor and the electro-magnet, a solenoid operated contactor switch in the motor circuit, a control or pilot circuit lead ing through the solenoid of the contactor, a control switch in the pilot circuit, and a device carried by the. sheave for actuating the control switch.

4. In a system of the character set forth the combination of a cable whose tension is to be automatically regulated and maintained, an electric motor and drum for wind- 'and the electromagnet.

ing up and paying out the cable, a mechanical brake frictionally engaging the apparatus for holding the tension of the cable, an electromagnet for releasing the brake, a main line circuit, a motor circuit leading from the main line through the motor and the electromagnet, a solenoid operated contactor switch in the motor circuit, a control circuit leading through the solenoid of the contactor, a

control switch in the control circuit and adevice res onsive to the tension of the cable for actuating the control switch and effecting the simultaneous control of the motor In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of March, 1921.

GEORGE H. JETT. 

